1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sliced bread packaging method and equipment for packaging sliced bread according to units of sliced bread having different predetermined numbers of bread slices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In case of packaging bread, the bread is often cut into slices, each slice having a predetermined thickness, and units of sliced bread of a predetermined quantity, such as one pound, a half pound, a quarter pound, etc., are packaged in bags for sale. For this purpose, it is demanded that one packaging equipment can change over the units of the sliced bread to be packaged according to a quantity of one pound, a half pound, a quarter pound, etc. so that the sliced bread of any number of slices can be smoothly packaged.
In order to realize such demand, such a sliced bread packaging method is desired that the number of slices to be packaged can be easily changed over and the sliced bread having any number of slices can be smoothly fed into packaging equipment. Also, desired is sliced bread packaging equipment of a simple structure realizing such a sliced bread packaging method.
In conventionally proposed sliced bread packaging method and apparatus, at each time of changing a feed quantity (the number of slices) of sliced bread, it is needed to change a setting of a sliced bread conveying part for changing the feed quantity or to make an adjustment after changing the setting. Also, there is a problem that while smooth packaging is performed if the number of bread slices is a large number, no smooth packaging can be performed if the number of bread slices is a small number as the bread slices of the small number are easily deformed.
As one example of a conventional packaging apparatus in which packaging is performed according to a quantity of sliced bread (number of slices), there is one disclosed by Patent Document 1 mentioned below, in which, at each time of changing the number of bread slices to be packaged, it is needed to change a position of a stopper guide and to make an adjustment so that bread slices of a selected number are smoothly introduced into packaging steps, and this requires considerable time and skill for such change-over operation.
Patent Document 1: Japanese laid-open patent                application 2002-219316        